The Americas stretch from the Arctic ice of northern Canada all the way down to Cape Horn at the tip of Argentina — a north-to-south distance of roughly 14,000 kilometres, more than a third of the way around the globe. The region covers two continents (North and South America), 35 sovereign countries, and includes some of the longest rivers, tallest mountains and largest rainforests on Earth.
North, Central and South America
Geographers usually split the Americas into three sub-regions. North America covers Canada, the United States, Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean. Central America is the narrow bridge of seven small countries — Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama — that links North to South. South America stretches from Colombia and Venezuela in the north down through Brazil, Peru, Chile and Argentina to the icy southern tip. Each region has its own climate, language patterns and history.
Big features of the Americas
The Andes, running down the western edge of South America, are the longest mountain chain in the world at over 7,000 kilometres — almost twice the length of the Himalayas. The Amazon rainforest covers around 5.5 million square kilometres, more than half of all rainforest on the planet, and produces a huge share of the world's oxygen. The Mississippi-Missouri river system in the United States is one of the longest in the world. North America also contains the Grand Canyon, the Great Lakes, and the world's largest temperate rainforest along the coast of British Columbia and Alaska.
Languages and cultures
Most of South America speaks Spanish, except for huge Brazil, which speaks Portuguese, and Suriname, which speaks Dutch. Most of North America speaks English, French (in much of Canada) and Spanish (in Mexico and the United States). The Caribbean is a beautifully complicated mix of English, Spanish, French, Dutch and many local creoles. Throughout the Americas, indigenous languages and cultures — Quechua, Aymara, Maya, Navajo, Inuit and many more — remain a vital part of life and identity.
What you'll find in this region
Here are quizzes and facts for the countries of the Americas, an interactive map, dedicated pages for the deserts of the region, and the full set of US state flags and US states map games. The US states content is very popular with children in North America, but it's also a great challenge for kids elsewhere who want to test themselves on something most adults can't do — naming all 50 state flags.